Apparatus for recovering bulk material from a pile

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for recovering bulk material from a pile having a center and a face from which the material is to be recovered comprises a tubular screw conveyor rotatable about its axis and extending in a radial plane from the center of the pile. A central column coaxial with the center and rotatable about its axis supports a pivot for one end of the screw conveyor for movement about a horizontal axis, and a hoist carried by the column supports the other end of the conveyor.

United States Patent [191 Postel-Vinay I 1 APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING BULK MATERIAL FROM A PILE [30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 4, 1971 France 7115937 [52] US. Cl 198/36, 198/215, 214/10 [51] Int. Cl. B65g 65/46 [58] Field 0fSearch.....2 14/10, 16 R, 17 R, 17 DB, 214/17 A, 17 DA; 198/9, 36, 69, 21 5, 213

[56] References Cited Jan. 29, 1974 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Primary Examiner-Frank E. Werner Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Kurt Kelman [5 7] ABSTRACT An apparatus for recovering bulk material from a pile having a center and a face from which the material is to be recovered comprises a tubular screw conveyor rotatable about its axis and extending in a radial plane from the center of the pile. A central column coaxial with the center and rotatable about its axis supports a pivot for one end of the screw conveyor for movement about a horizontal axis, and a hoist carried by the col- UNITED STATES PATENTS umn supports the other end of the conveyor. 3,513,994 5/1970 DeBower et al. r. 214/17 DA 860,706 7 1907 Trump 198/215 7 Claims 5 Drawmg Figures [h //A ill I 1 3s 32 52/ I I 61 1O In I ss i 6O 58 Il ENENTEHJANZS 1914 3,788 445 sum 1 0r 3 FIG.

APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING BULK MATERIAL FROM A PILE The present invention relates to an apparatus for recovering bulk material from a pile of material, such pile having a center about which it extends and a face'from which the material is to be recovered. The recovered material is gathered in a central hopper whence it is removed by a subterranean conveyor placed below the hopper.

ln installations of this general type, the recovery apparatus is usually placed at the base of the pile in a radial plane and turns about the vertical axis of the stored material. If the material is sticky or humid, some means, such as a rake, is provided to loosen the upper portion of the pile.

In such installations, it is never possible to form a complete pile because space must always be left for the recovery apparatus.

To remedy this inconvenience, it has been proposed to use, in a silo, a raking device suspended on an arm turning above the pile about a central mast or column. In this structure, the pivoting arm is supported at its outer end by one or several wheels or rollers running on a circular rail on the wall of the silo. This requires the wall to be reinforced and thus increases the cost of the silo. Furthermore, the control of the raking device and the transmission of its movements to the pivoting arm are complex.

It is the primary object of this invention to overcome these disadvantages, and this object is accomplished with a tubular screw conveyor rotatable about its axis and extending in a radial plane from the center of the pile. A central column coaxial with the center of the pile and rotatable about its axis carries a pivot mounting one end of the screw conveyor near the center for movement about a horizontal axis, and a hoisting means carried by the column supports the other end of the screw conveyor.

The helices of the screw conveyor may be arranged around the-circumference of the tube or they'may be on the inner wall of the tube, in which case buckets are affixed to the outer tube wall and pass recovered material through ports in the tube wall to the helices.

The pivot may be an anti-friction bearing mounted on the columns for pivoting about the horizontal axis, and a shaft affixed to the one conveyor end is journaled in the bearing.

The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of certain now preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of-a covered silo provided with a recovery apparatus according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of this apparatus;

FIGS. 3a and 312 show details of the mounting of the apparatus on the central column or mast; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 of a modification.

Referring now to the drawing and first to FIGS. 1 to 3, there is shown a silo with a frusto-conical side wall and a roof 12 resting on the side wall. A central mast or column coaxial with the axis of the silo is rotatable about its axis. The column comprises a first or lower part 19 which is carried by a support 23 on a fixed pin 21, and a second or upper part 30 which is mounted on the lower part by roller or like anti-friction bearings 52 and which is journaled in the roof by means of roller or like anti-friction bearings 57.

The upper part of the column carries an ejector 32 which serves to distribute the material to be stored in the silo over the entire area thereof. This ejector is fed by a chute 34 which receives material from a delivery conveyor 36 placed above the silo. The upper part of the column, the ejector and the chute are rotated by a motor 38 driving the gears 57.

The recovery apparatus is constituted by a tubular screw conveyor 16 rotatable about its axis and having one or more helices 42 which push the material towards the center of the pile where it falls into a central hopper whereunder a removal conveyor 29 is placed. The helix 42 carries a circumferential rim oriented towards the center of the silo.

At one end near the center of the silo, the tube 16 has affixed thereto an axle 17 mounted in a bearing 15 which is pivoted to the lower part 19 of the column for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis. A motor 18 mounted on the axle 17 permits the tubular conveyor to be rotated about its axis.

Atthe other end, the tube 16 is supported on an antifriction bearing attached to two cables 58 which are trained over pulleys 60 (see FIG. 2) mounted at the ends of two arms 61 and which are attached to the drums of a winch 59. The arms 61 and the winch support are affixed to the lower part 19 of the column, and the winch serves to hoist the screw conveyor about its horizontal pivoting axis 22.

The assembly of the lower column part 19 andthe tubular conveyor 16 are rotated about the axis of the silo by motor 53.

A passage between the wall of the tube 16 and the bearing 55 accommodates the helix 42 and a circular runway is provided to receive -the lower part of the bearing whose diameter exceeds that of the helix.

When the silo is being filled, the tubular conveyor 16 may be lifted to permit the silo to be filled completely.

When it is desired to empty the silo, the conveyor is lowered and rotated so that the helices rake the upper face of the pile and cause the stored material to be discharged into the central hopper. At the same time, the conveyor may be turned about the axis of the silo by operating motor 53 while progressively lowering it until the silo has been completely emptied. It is also possible to leave the pivot of the conveyor in the same plane and progressively lower the outer end thereof to form a conical pile. The conveyor may be turned about the axis of the silo slowly, either continuously or discontin uously.

In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the conveyor 16 is provided with buckets 44 affixed to the outer surface of the tubular wall and communicating with ports in the wall which pass the recovered material to interior helices in the tube. Such a tubular conveyor is more fully described and claimed in my copending application filed simultaneously herewith and whose pertinent disclosure is herewith incorporated in the description. When the tube 16' is rotated, the interior helices convey the material in the tube towards the center of the silo where it falls through an open end of the tube into the hopper 27.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for recovering bulk material from a pile of the material, the pile having a center about which it extends and a face from which the material is to be recovered, comprising a central hopper coaxial with the center, a tubular screw conveyor, the tubular screw conveyor being rotatable about its axis and extending in a radial plane from the center of the pile along the face thereof so as to cause the material recovered by the conveyor to be discharged into the central hopper, a central column coaxial with the centerof the pile and rotatable about its axis, a support means centrally of the hopper for supporting the lower end of the central column, a pivot mounting one end of the tubular screw conveyor on the column near the center for movement about a horizontal axis, and a hoisting means carried by the column and supporting the other end of the tubular screw conveyor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the screw conveyor comprises helices around the circumference of the tube.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the screw conveyor comprises helices on the inner wall of the tube, and further comprising buckets affixed to the outer wall of the tube and passing the recovered material through ports in the tube wall to the helices.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pivot is an anti-friction bearing mounted on the column for pivoting about the horizontal axis, and further comprising a shaft affixed to the one end and journaled in the bearing.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising motor means for rotating the shaft for rotation of the tubular screw conveyor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hoisting means comprises a winch-and-cable system carried by the column.

7. The apparatus of claim '1, further comprising an antifriction bearing on the other end of the tubular screw conveyor, the hoisting means being connected to the anti-friction bearing. 

1. An apparatus for recovering bulk material from a pile of the material, the pile having a center about which it extends and a face from which the material is to be recovered, comprising a central hopper coaxial with the center, a tubular screw conveyor, the tubular screw conveyor being rotatable about its axis and extending in a radial plane from the center of the pile along the face thereof sO as to cause the material recovered by the conveyor to be discharged into the central hopper, a central column coaxial with the center of the pile and rotatable about its axis, a support means centrally of the hopper for supporting the lower end of the central column, a pivot mounting one end of the tubular screw conveyor on the column near the center for movement about a horizontal axis, and a hoisting means carried by the column and supporting the other end of the tubular screw conveyor.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the screw conveyor comprises helices around the circumference of the tube.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the screw conveyor comprises helices on the inner wall of the tube, and further comprising buckets affixed to the outer wall of the tube and passing the recovered material through ports in the tube wall to the helices.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pivot is an anti-friction bearing mounted on the column for pivoting about the horizontal axis, and further comprising a shaft affixed to the one end and journaled in the bearing.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising motor means for rotating the shaft for rotation of the tubular screw conveyor.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hoisting means comprises a winch-and-cable system carried by the column.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an antifriction bearing on the other end of the tubular screw conveyor, the hoisting means being connected to the anti-friction bearing. 